Hydrogen Water Boosts Exercise Endurance and Reduces Fatigue
- Authors
- Toshio Mikami, Kohei Tano, Hosung Lee, Hyowon Lee, Jonghyuk Park, Fumiaki Ohta, Tyler W. LeBaron, Shigeo Ohta
- Journal
- Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.1139/cjpp-2019-0059
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Exercise-Induced Fatigue
- Body System
- Muscular
TL;DR
Drinking water infused with molecular hydrogen (H2) before exercising can reduce fatigue and improve endurance.
Key Finding
Drinking hydrogen water 10-30 minutes before exercise significantly reduced reported fatigue and improved endurance capacity in both untrained and trained participants, with stronger effects in people who started with higher fatigue levels.
Summary
This study tested whether drinking hydrogen-infused water before exercise could reduce fatigue and improve endurance. In two experiments with healthy volunteers and trained athletes, participants drank either hydrogen water or placebo water before cycling exercise. The hydrogen water group reported feeling less tired after exercise and showed improvements in endurance measures compared to the placebo group.
Practical Takeaway
This human study suggests hydrogen water may help reduce exercise-related fatigue, particularly for people who tend to feel tired during physical activity. However, the study duration and long-term effects are not reported, so it's unclear whether benefits persist with regular use or apply to everyday activities beyond controlled exercise sessions.
Abstract (excerpt)
Acute physical exercise increases reactive oxygen species in skeletal muscle, leading to tissue damage and fatigue. Molecular hydrogen (H2) acts as a therapeutic antioxidant directly or indirectly by inducing antioxidative enzymes. Here, we examined the effects of drinking H2 water (H2-infused…